Full Circle
by ynnej2198
Summary: Unexpected revelations cause shockwaves through Patrick and Sabrina's worlds. (Short Story)
1. Chapter 1

Sabrina was a masochist. That was the only explanation for why she would be sitting here, in this church, watching this particular wedding. Two plus years ago the woman at that altar was her. Now, it was Sam Morgan. Patrick and Sam had gotten "close" last summer after Gabriel died when she helped him investigate the accident. Somehow, their friendship had turned serious despite the fact that Patrick had been keeping the fact that his marriage had ultimately crumbled because his wife left him and Emma to save Sam's not-so-dead-but-turned-out-to-be-dead husband.

Gabriel's premature birth and subsequent death had allowed Patrick and Sabrina to regain their friendship and bond further as parents sharing the pain of a lost child. Even though Patrick was with Sam, he still confided in Sabrina the way he used to "before" and she did the same with him. Sabrina could tell that Sam wasn't thrilled with their closeness, but she had accepted it on Patrick's request because he insisted that they loved each other (and always would, on some level), but were no longer in love. Or so Sabrina thought.

Sabrina really had been okay most of the day. When she arrived, she'd hugged Emma (who was happy her daddy was happy, but wasn't nearly as thrilled as she'd been at their wedding), wished Patrick well, and then took a seat in the back after chatting with some of the other guests, most of whom probably wondered why she was there. Sabrina was there because she cared for Patrick and he'd asked her to come. Unfortunately, Sabrina didn't realize how not-okay she was until Sam had reached the altar, but, by then, it was too late to bolt without making a scene – and Sabrina refused to make a scene. Apparently it took him re-marrying for her to realize that she was still in love with him. Lovely.

As Lucy droned on and on about love and other nonsense that wasn't nonsense when _she_ was the bride, Sabrina began feeling faint. She was on the end, so she eyed the nearby door and figured she might be able to slip out unnoticed if she was really quiet about it. Sabrina, careful not to make any noise, grabbed her clutch purse and stood. She had just put her hand on the door, to push it open slowly when someone yanked it from the outside, causing her to gasp in surprise. Of course, this meant that Lucy stopped speaking and everyone turned to face the back of the church to see what the commotion was, including Patrick and Sam. Sabrina was beyond mortified to be caught sneaking out and was about to turn around and apologize when she realized no one in the church was looking at her. Instead, they were all looking at the man who'd yanked the door open. Sam whispered, "Oh my God!" and then started to fall backward, but, luckily, was caught by her brother Lucas.

Sabrina turned around to see who the man was, but she didn't know him on sight. It was only after she started hearing whispers of "Jason" that Sabrina turned back to Patrick, who was pale, and Sabrina realized the magnitude of what had just happened.

* * *

It was Patrick's wedding day to Sam, but something felt "off" to him all day. Since they'd both been married before, they opted for a small, informal wedding at the church with just a handful of guests – including Sabrina. When he mentioned to Sam that he wanted to invite Sabrina, she had looked at him as if he'd grown three heads. Wouldn't inviting Sabrina to watch him remarry in the same church where they'd almost married be tantamount to torture? Why would he want to put her through that? Patrick, however, blew off her concerns. He knew that Sabrina was stronger than most people realized and, since she'd become his best friend (again) since their crisis with Gabriel, he couldn't imagine her _not_ there with him. She had her own mind and if she couldn't handle it, she would have said no.

Patrick couldn't help but notice how lovely Sabrina looked when she entered the church. She was dressed in a demure black cocktail dress that even he couldn't help but admit hugged her curves in all the right places. When she entered, he walked toward her, but Emma beat him to it and bounded up to her for a hug. Patrick knew Emma wanted him to be happy, so she'd done her best to accept Sam and Danny into their family; but, he also realized that Emma and Sabrina had a special bond that Sam would never be able to overcome. Once Sabrina had reassured Emma, she turned her attention to him. Sabrina smiled at him and then gave him a hug as she said words of congratulations. Then, she pulled away (a little too quickly for his liking) and made her way to the back of the church, stopping to chat with several people along the way. As other guests greeted him, Patrick kept an eye on Sabrina, who truly did seem to be "handling" the wedding well. He was glad because he needed her there.

When it was time, Lucy told him to take his place and Patrick's attention focused on his bride, who looked stunning in a simple white sheath dress. He smiled as Sam approached, but got became a little more nervous the closer she got. Chalking up his nerves to anxiety over what happened at his last wedding; Patrick forced them away and focused on Sam as Lucy went through the motions of the simple ceremony. Out of the corner of his eye, he happened to notice Sabrina begin to look uncomfortable and worry set in as she silently stood up and made her way to the door. Patrick was concerned, but he couldn't exactly check on her, so he vowed to let her get some air and then catch up with her later. As he smiled at Sam, Patrick heard Sabrina gasp, which drew the attention of all the guests. As he turned his head to see what was wrong, he couldn't believe his eyes. As Sam spied the man at the door and began fainting from shock, Patrick could literally feel the color drain out of him. Frozen in place, Patrick realized Jason wasn't dead after all and his world was about to be turned upside down again.


	2. Chapter 2

Sabrina watched as Sam, ignoring Patrick, began making her way down the aisle to Jason as he advanced on her. It was like a bad car accident and Sabrina couldn't help but look as Sam and Jason reconnected. Sam's disbelief turned to joy as she realized the husband she'd lost wasn't dead and she pulled Jason into her arms for a kiss not unlike Robin and Patrick's at their failed wedding two years ago. Sabrina looked at Patrick, still frozen. Part of her felt horrible for him and wondered if Robin had lied when she said Jason was dead and the other part of Sabrina, the one she kept locked deep inside, couldn't help but think payback was a bitch. When he'd run to Robin to kiss her in front of everyone, Sabrina was devastated and embarrassed beyond belief. Patrick had apologized, but Sabrina knew that he would never really know the pain he'd caused her in that moment – having all her dreams and the life she'd planned shattered in a heartbeat. But, now he did, and, secretly, it vindicated her.

Sabrina returned her attention to the reuniting couple as Jason explained his story. When Robin's name came up, Sam turned back to Patrick and Sabrina saw Patrick come out of his trance and make his way down the aisle. As Sam, frowning, stared at Patrick with a mixture of anger and disappointment, Patrick asked about Robin. Jason told him that Robin was still at the clinic, but had arranged for him to escape. Then, he confessed she had lied to Patrick about him dying because she needed more time to save him and was afraid that Victor would cause another accident if she didn't force Patrick to leave her. When Sabrina heard the word "accident", she involuntarily piped up. "Excuse me, what did you say?"

Jason, Patrick and Sam turned toward her, but it was Jason who asked, "I'm sorry, what?"

Sabrina walked toward them as she asked the question again. "What did you say about an accident?"

Jason clarified, "Patrick found Robin at the clinic in New York before I was revived. After she woke me up, she confessed that she lied about me being dead because Victor Cassadine had run her family off the road as a warning and threatened to find someone else who didn't care if Patrick lived or died to do it again if she didn't continue to cooperate."

Sabrina, shocked, took a deep breath. "So, you're telling me that _my son_ is dead because of you and Robin?" Sam had uncovered that someone put Rafe up to running them off the road, but neither her nor any of the investigators Sabrina had hired were able to figure out who it was.

Jason, clearly confused, answered, "Huh?"; Sam whispered, "Oh, God… Rafe..."; and, Patrick turned his attention to Sabrina, saying worriedly, "Sabrina…"

Sabrina looked at Patrick, vehemence in her eyes, and put up a hand. "Don't! Not a word." And then she turned and fled, not giving a damn about Patrick or his ruined wedding any longer.

* * *

Patrick stood at the altar as he watched the woman he was supposed to be marrying right now reunite with her not-so-dead husband. In what felt like slow motion, he saw Sam and Jason advancing toward each other. He watched as Sam's disbelief turned to joy and then felt as if he'd been kicked in the gut when she pulled Jason in for a kiss that made it clear to everyone in the room that she was very much in love with her husband. Unable to look at the kiss for more than a few moments, Patrick's eyes sought something, anything, else to focus on – and ended up landing on Sabrina, who was looking at him with a mixture of pity, empathy and pain. In that moment, Patrick knew what she'd gone through two years ago. Seeing Sam, the woman he'd fallen in love with unexpectedly, forget he existed as she kissed her dead husband hurt. On one hand, he wanted to shout, "Hey, remember me!?" but, on the other, he wanted to sink into the floor and disappear. As he locked eyes with Sabrina, Patrick realized he could never, ever apologize enough for the pain he'd caused her at their wedding, just as he could tell that, though she hid it well, Sabrina was in the midst of getting vengeance she never knew she'd craved.

Patrick was distracted from Sabrina when he heard Jason mention Robin's name. He'd taken Sabrina's advice last year and opted not to re-break Sam's heart by telling her the husband she thought was dead might have been alive but really was dead after all. He'd been worried (and rightfully so!) about it coming out unexpectedly and boy had it ever. So, Patrick took a deep breath and decided to enter the fray, knowing he'd have explaining to do now that it was revealed that Robin was the one who revived Jason. As he walked, he realized that Robin had lied to him and that his marriage had been dissolved under false pretenses; but, knowing Jason would never be here if Robin wasn't okay, Patrick temporarily put that out of his mind as he focused on the rest of Jason's story. When it was revealed that Victor had been behind his and Sabrina's accident, Patrick's attention was turned to Sabrina who piped up to question Jason's statement. Losing Gabriel had pushed Sabrina to the edge and, despite her claims otherwise, Patrick knew she had never really, truly recovered from the loss. She'd learned to live with it, but not having Gabriel had left as big a hole in her heart as it had in his.

When Jason confirmed what he'd said, that Gabriel was dead because of him and Robin, Patrick could literally see the string holding Sabrina's composure throughout this train-wreck of a wedding snap and his only thought was to minimize the carnage. When he looked at her, hoping to say something to calm her, she stared back at him broken and angry. When she said, "Don't! Not a word," and fled, Patrick realized the time had come to make a choice. Would he stay here with is would-be bride and her not-so-dead husband or would he chase the mother of his child?


	3. Chapter 3

Sabrina stormed into her apartment and slammed the door with a crash. She lost Patrick because of Robin and now she lost her son because of that woman and, frankly, it grated on her nerves. All Sabrina ever did was love Robin's family as her own and what did it get her?

"Not a damn thing," Sabrina muttered angrily as she kicked off her heels and went into her bedroom. Since Felix was out of town visiting his family, Sabrina allowed herself the luxury of letting out her anger over the situation by shouting all the things she wished she could say to Robin (and Patrick) in person while she divested herself of her black cocktail dress and threw on her bathrobe. Knowing she needed to calm down, Sabrina was halfway to the bathroom to draw a nice hot bubble bath when she heard a loud knock at the door. Not in the mood for visitors, however, Sabrina ignored it and continued walking.

"Sabrina! I know you're in there. Open the door," she heard Patrick shout. Patrick? What the hell was he doing here? Shouldn't he be trying to convince his bride not to dump him for her dead hubby?

When Patrick continued shouting her name and banging on her door, Sabrina turned around and went to answer, knowing that Patrick wouldn't give up as long as he figured she was home. "What do you want, Patrick?" she asked coldly as she opened the door.

He stepped over the threshold before she could stop him, saying, "I wanted to make sure you were okay. I was worried when you ran out of the church like that."

"I'm fine," she said as she grabbed the sleeve of his tux and tried to maneuver him back out the door. "You can't salvage your almost-marriage if you're here with me, so you'd better get a move on. Thanks for coming though."

Patrick pulled out of her grasp. "Sam's not missing me. I'm more concerned about you right now."

"Well, don't be." Sabrina walked over to the open door and grabbed it with one hand as she gestured for him to leave with the other. "I can take care of myself. Now, if you don't mind…"

* * *

Patrick looked at Sabrina standing by the door cold as stone ushering him out and wondered what had happened to his best friend. He knew that Jason's revelation about Gabriel's death had to be affecting her as much as it was him, so he couldn't understand why she was cutting him out.

Patrick walked over to the door, but instead of walking out, he pulled it out her grasp and slammed it shut. "I know you can take care of yourself, but I'm here and we need to talk about this."

"About what?"

"Gabriel. Robin. The whole thing."

Sabrina leaned against the back of the now-closed door and crossed her arms over her chest, snarking, "Oh, you mean that your ex-wife is the reason my son is dead? That, thanks to her, my entire life was blown to smithereens not once, but twice within the span of six months?"

Patrick was shocked by the vehemence in Sabrina's voice. On some level he knew that she had to be angry over the way things shook out between them; but, since she'd never once shown him any anger, he assumed it was all in the past as they worked to rebuild their friendship during Gabriel's crisis. "Sabrina, I'm so sorry. I didn't know about the accident or the lengths Victor would go to in order to keep Robin in line."

"I believe you, Patrick," Sabrina said in a soft voice. "But, it doesn't matter, does it? Gabriel is gone and he isn't coming back - all because of _her_."

"This isn't Robin's fault. It's Victor's," Patrick said, compelled to defend his ex. Patrick knew in his heart that she would never have wanted him to lose his son despite any issues they were having in their marriage.

At that, Sabrina threw her hands up in the air and pushed away from the door. Beginning to pace, she shouted, "Of course not! Nothing is her fault. Not Saint Robin…"

"That's not fair, Sabrina."

Sabrina laughed harshly. "Oh, I'm sorry. Far be it for me to be unfair to the Great Robin Scorpio-Drake, the woman to whom no other woman can ever compare…"

Patrick stepped in front of Sabrina to stop her pacing and get her attention. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't you see it Patrick? Even divorced, you hold her on a pedestal no one else can touch." Then, she looked at him and asked, "Tell me... If Robin had come in that door today instead of Jason and told you she was wrong for abandoning you and Emma and wanted her family back, would you have told her she missed her chance and married Sam anyway or would you have left Sam up there at the altar the way you did me?"

"I don't know," Patrick answered. Falling for Sam had been unexpected, yet powerful. But did he love her the way he loved Robin?

Resigned, Sabrina said, "Don't give me that. You know exactly what you would have done. All roads always lead back to her. The rest of us, we're just detours."

"That's not true. I loved you, Sabrina," Patrick defended. She had to know his decision to go back to Robin after their non-wedding had nothing to do with which woman he loved more, didn't she?

"Obviously not enough." Then, without warning, Sabrina turned her back on him and sighed sadly. "Look, it's been a long day and and I'd like to be alone," she said as she started walking toward the hallway that led to her bedroom, "Thanks for coming, but I'm sure you have a lot to deal with, so you can let yourself out. Just lock the door behind you."

As Patrick watched Sabrina disappear into the hallway, he was dumbfounded. One moment, she was spitting nails in anger and the next she just couldn't seem to care less. He thought he knew Sabrina, but now he wondered if that was true. Patrick was at her door intending to follow her wishes and let himself out when, instead of turning the knob, he locked the lock, did an about-face and strode toward Sabrina's room intending to hash things out once and for all.


	4. Chapter 4

When Patrick entered Sabrina's room, she was in the midst of changing into her pajamas. The moment she saw him, she screamed a shocked, "What the hell, Patrick?!" as she lifted the robe she'd discarded to cover the front of her body. "This is my bedroom..."

Unable to keep the sarcasm from his voice, Patrick said, "I'm well aware of that, Sabrina," while he pushed the door closed behind him with a loud bang. "But we weren't finished talking."

"Get out," she ground out angrily, pointing toward the door.

"No."

"No?"

"Not until we hash this out," Patrick said as he removed his tux jacket and sat down comfortably in Sabrina's corner 'reading chair'.

Sabrina turned her back to him and quickly put the robe back on. "Fine. If you want to talk then we'll talk. But not here," she said as she made her away around the bed to the chair where he was sitting. She nodded toward the door. "Let's go…"

Patrick settled into the chair even deeper just to be stubborn. "Nah. Here is as good a place as any, I think."

"I don't think so," Sabrina argued as she leaned down toward the chair and grabbed his hand, attempting to pull him up out of it. "You don't belong here. Not anymore."

Patrick briefly looked away from Sabrina's angry face and around the room. When his eyes landed on her bed, they stilled as he remembered all the times they'd made love there when they were together. Though the memories were fewer and farther in between than he would have liked, primarily because they spent most of their time at his place, they were unforgettable. As the visions that were burned into the back of Patrick's brain surged to the forefront, he realized Sabrina was remembering, too; which probably explained why she was practically dislocating his shoulder in her attempt to use his arm to pull him up from the chair and get him out of the room.

If his presence in her bedroom made her uncomfortable, then there had to be a reason for that, right? If she was over him, which was what he assumed based on her behavior ever since Gabriel's crisis, then why was she so bothered now? But, more importantly, why was he so pleased by her displeasure at his presence?

When Sabrina growled in frustration at his lack of cooperation and then stood upright to swipe her hair out of her face, Patrick couldn't help but smile. He'd never really seen Sabrina so discombobulated - and it was a beautiful sight. Of course, Patrick's smile on seemed to make Sabrina angrier, causing her to grab his hand with both of hers and pull with all her might, muttering, "Out. Now."

Watching Sabrina, who never failed at anything, try and fail to get him out of her chair immediately lifted Patrick's mood. Although the revelations about Gabriel had thrown him, he really wasn't that upset over his second non-wedding in as many years and he believed it was because of Sabrina. When everything had come crashing down, she'd been the only person on his mind. Not Sam. Not Robin. Just Sabrina. At that moment, he realized he didn't just love Sabrina. He was in love with her – still.

Feeling freer than he had in a long time thanks to his epiph-, er, revelation, Patrick decided to test the waters to see if his theory regarding Sabrina was true. So, just as she was pulling on his arm with all her might, Patrick pulled his arm toward his body, launching her forward into his lap. Sabrina squeaked in surprise and wiggled around to try to get off of him, but Patrick was quicker than her and wrapped both his arms around her so she couldn't flee. Not to be dissuaded, Sabrina continued trying to push away, uttering a frustrated, "Dammit, Patrick. Let me go."

This only made him hold onto her tighter. "Sabrina," he said softly, "Stop."

He must have gotten her attention by keeping his voice soft because Sabrina stilled and looked at him curiously. Then, "Why are you doing this? Please let me up."

"I can't do that." Patrick then locked eyes with her and added, "And… I don't think you want me to."

"Please," Sabrina asked pleadingly as her physical resistance to his embrace faded away.

Patrick took advantage of her capitulation to pull her close, bringing one hand up to cup her cheek. Then he whispered, "I thought you'd never ask," just before he gently traced her jawline with his fingers and used them to tilt her lips toward his waiting ones.


	5. Chapter 5

Sabrina had to be dreaming. It was the only explanation for why Patrick would be sitting here in her bedroom kissing her the way he was on his wedding day to another woman. They hadn't kissed since the night before their non-wedding, so the only kisses of his she received since then had been the ones in her dreams. In her dreams, Patrick chose her over Robin instead of shattering her heart into a gazillion little pieces. Rather than begging for more time when she tried to give back the rings, he would tell her that he couldn't take them because she was the woman he wanted, not Robin, and then they would go back out hand-in-hand and announce to their guests that they were finishing what they started. Afterward, they would go on their honeymoon and then live the life they were meant to live together as a family the way Patrick had promised.

Unfortunately, Sabrina always woke up and realized that she was living the nightmare rather than the dream. Patrick hadn't chosen her. Love wasn't enough. And fairytales were for schoolgirls, not grown women. Real life was harsh and unpredictable and just when you thought you had everything you ever wanted, it would be ripped away. She had Patrick and she lost him. She was blessed with Gabriel and she lost him. So, the only way Sabrina could survive was by not wanting anything. If she didn't want anything, it wouldn't be taken away. It was a half-life, but a half-life with no pain was far better than a full life where pain was always around the corner, wasn't it?

Since Sabrina was dreaming, she allowed herself to not only give into Patrick's kiss, but to kiss him back with everything she'd kept locked inside her since their wedding day. The passion, the longing, the pain, the fear and, yes, the love. Although she'd fooled herself into thinking she was over him in order to be his friend, she knew she was lying. She was as over him as he was over Robin. He could claim otherwise and even stand at the altar with Sam, but Robin was Robin and she would always win in the end. So, it was a good thing this was a dream because, in her dreams, Sabrina was first in Patrick's heart.

As they kissed, Sabrina melted into Patrick's embrace. Even as she marveled at the feeling of his hands roaming all over her body, she yearned for more. Desperate to be with him with no barriers between them, Sabrina pulled away and pushed her robe from her shoulders. She smiled as Patrick's confusion over her abrupt parting turned to desire as he eyed the delicate lingerie she was wearing. Sabrina was working on unbuttoning Patrick's dress shirt when he hauled her back toward him for another intensely passionate kiss. It wasn't until Patrick's hands reached for the clasp of her bra and he whispered, "I knew you still wanted me, too," in between kisses that Sabrina was pulled from her stupor. The Patrick in her dreams knew without a doubt that she wanted him, so only the real Patrick would question her actions now.

Abruptly, Sabrina pushed herself off of his lap and bolted to the other side of the room. As she attempted to pull her robe back up over her upper body, she muttered, "Oh, God, what have I done?"

She heard rustling behind her and then Patrick's voice say, "Not nearly enough."

Mortified, Sabrina turned around to the sight she feared: Patrick standing in front of her chair with his shirt half unbuttoned and the evidence of his desire, well, evident. This couldn't be happening.

When Patrick began walking toward her, Sabrina held her hands up in defense. "Please don't come any closer."

"Why," he asked, "Because you won't be able to resist me?"

"That's not funny, Patrick," she scolded. Sabrina let her hands fall to her robe and then pulled it tight, adding, "Because this is a horrible idea that will only mess up everything we worked so hard to rebuild."

"But what if it doesn't?" He asked, a predatory gleam in his eye as he continued his journey. "What if it is exactly what is supposed to happen?"

Sabrina backed up to counter his forward strides. "A few hours ago, you were standing at the altar with another woman and would be making love to her right now if her dead husband hadn't interrupted. Our ship has sailed and sunk like the Titanic. It's over and we need to forget this ever happened."

Back against the wall now, Sabrina could only watch as Patrick approached, confessing, "The thing is, Sabrina, that I don't think I would have married Sam either way because you were the only woman on my mind today. I saw you get up to sneak out and I had to physically stop myself from chasing you. Had Jason not interrupted, I can't say that I wouldn't have lost the battle and followed you outside." When he reached her her took her face in his hands and tilted it up toward his. "I don't want to forget this ever happened... And I don't think you do either."

"We have to Patrick," Sabrina implored.

"No we don't - because I think that you still love me as much as I still love you."

"I'm sorry… What did you say?"

"I love you, Sabrina. I don't think I ever stopped. And, I think that you still love me."

Sabrina stood there, motionless, staring into Patrick's eyes. Although hearing him say he still loved her was everything she'd wished for for so long, Sabrina wasn't the girl she'd been before. So, rather than jump for joy, she said, "Whether I do or not doesn't matter. Sometimes love isn't enough, Patrick."

"How can you say that?"

Sabrina pushed him away and ducked under his arms in order to get some much needed distance between them. Once she composed herself, Sabrina turned back around to face him. "Because you and I, what we had, was a fairytale. It was amazing and wonderful until it was ripped away. You loved me, but not enough to choose me over your dead wife. I can't live in her shadow. I won't. So, we can love each other, but we can never be together. Fairytales are fairytales for a reason, Patrick - because they don't come true."

Sabrina watched as Patrick tried to process what she was saying. Turning him down when she wanted him so badly was one of the hardest things she's ever had to do; but, Sabrina knew from experience that losing him later would be worse. It was best to cut their losses now and remain friends. Safer.

Suddenly, Patrick walked over to her and, when he was inches away, he said, "Bullshit."

"Excuse me?" Sabrina asked, dumbfounded.

"I call bullshit, Sabrina. You want me as much as I want you, but you're scared. And I never pegged you as a scaredy cat."

Sabrina sputtered in shock. "That's… That's…"

"What?"

"Ridiculous. I am _not _scared," she said as she stepped as close as possible without touching him.

At that, Patrick leaned down and smiled wickedly. "Then prove it," he challenged.


	6. Chapter 6

Patrick waited with baited breath for Sabrina to make up her mind regarding his challenge. They'd been on their way to making love, finally, when she put on the brakes, leaving him aroused and confused. He didn't want to ruin what they had rebuilt any more than Sabrina did, but he also didn't want to throw away a future now that he had finally woken up and realized what, or rather who, he wanted. He may have been at the altar with Sam a few hours ago, but he knew that Sabrina was the woman he was supposed to be with in the future. Marrying Sam would have been a huge mistake and, in a way, he was grateful to Jason (and Robin) for stopping it.

Patrick didn't understand Sabrina's complete 180. One minute she was practically ripping his clothes off and the next she couldn't get away from him fast enough. He knew that his confession must have overwhelmed her and he was willing to be understanding; but, when she started spewing the nonsense about fairtytales not coming true, it clued him into the truth: she was scared. Sabrina was a lot of things, but scared generally wasn't one of them. And she wouldn't be acting this way if she didn't want him as much as he wanted her.

When Sabrina didn't say anything after nearly a minute, Patrick raised a brow. "Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Are you going to prove you aren't scared or not?"

Sabrina stepped back. "I'm not scared. I'm cautious. And, all things considered, I think I have a right to be."

Patrick stepped forward. "I know I hurt you, Sabrina, and I can never make up for it. But, what happened is in the past. Robin and I are over. Divorced. I've moved on."

Sabrina lifted a hand to his temple. "You may think that in your head." She then moved it to his heart and laid her palm there, "But I'm not sure you really believe it in your heart." Patrick covered her hand with his and opened his mouth to deny her accusation, but Sabrina cut him off. "And standing at an altar with someone else doesn't really prove anything."

Patrick stopped Sabrina from removing her hand by pressing it harder against his chest. "What can I do to convince you I'm sincere when I tell you that you are the woman I want to be with?"

"See, Patrick, that's the problem. No matter what you say, I can't believe you. I've heard it all before and I believed it, but it didn't get me anything but pain. I lost you and Emma and then I lost Gabriel on top of it. I love you, but I can't trust you with my heart."

Patrick was disheartened by Sabrina's statement, but he did have to admit that she had a point. How could she trust anything he says to her now when she heard it all before and ended up brokenhearted? So, he changed tactics and said, "Then don't."

"What?"

"Don't trust me with your heart. At least not yet."

"I don't understand…"

"Let me prove to you that what I'm saying is the truth. As long as I have your love, I'm willing to earn back your trust over time."

Sabrina bit her lip, which she usually did when she mulled something over. "I don't know…"

Patrick used his free hand to swipe a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Just give me the chance. That's all I ask."

* * *

With Patrick standing in front of her so earnestly begging for another chance, Sabrina was tempted. She still loved him and wanted him in her life as more than a friend, but she wasn't sure if she could trust in what he was saying. Surviving losing him, Emma and Gabriel had crippled her and she didn't think she could do it again.

"Please, Sabrina...," Patrick begged softly.

Sabrina looked away from Patrick for a moment and took a deep breath as she considered his plea. Was she really willing to throw away a second chance at everything she'd always wanted? She'd believed his words of love before and been burned, but that didn't necessarily mean it would happen again. Knowing the answer of her heart, Sabrina took a leap of faith and whispered, "Alright," before she could stop herself.

The moment the word escaped her lips, Patrick pulled her into his arms and began spinning her around in happiness. When he sat her back down he said, "Thank you. I promise you won't regret this."

Sabrina didn't trust herself to speak, as she still had a river of doubt a mile wide, so she simply smiled back and then reached up on her tiptoes to plant a quick kiss on his lips.

As she pulled away, however, Patrick grabbed her tightly so that they were flush against each other. Then he smiled his rakish smile as he leaned down for a real kiss full of love and desire. Figuring if she was in for a penny, she should be in for a pound, Sabrina kissed Patrick with everything in her as she backed them up toward her bed. However, just as Sabrina picked up where she left off earlier in unbuttoning his shirt, Patrick broke their kiss and stopped her hands with his, uttering a breathless, "Wait. We can't do this."

Confused and a little hurt, Sabrina asked, "Why? I thought..." Then, "Don't you want me?"

Patrick sat Sabrina down on the bed and then kneeled down in front of her. He tenderly kissed the top of her hand and then looked at her seriously. "God, Sabrina, I want you more than you know."

Sabrina reached for him. "Then why stop?"

He halted her and said, "Because I need to earn back your trust first." Patrick stood up and pulled her with him. "And the first step to doing that is to break up with Sam."

"Now?"

"Yes. Now. I want her and everyone else to know that I made this choice. Jason didn't make it for me."

"Ah... Ok," Sabrina said as Patrick walked over and picked his coat up from her chair. Then, he opened the door and ushered her out in front of him. When they got to the front door, he stopped. "Sabrina?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Patrick."

Then Patrick kissed her sweetly and left as Sabrina stood there staring at the closed door not quite believing everything that had happened.


	7. Chapter 7

In the month since Patrick convinced Sabrina to give him another chance, he had been working steadily to rebuild her trust in him. It had been difficult (to say the least) to stop things from getting physical that night, but he knew that the first step in assuring Sabrina she was the woman he wanted was to break up with Sam as soon as possible. After that, he and Sabrina decided to keep the change in the status of their relationship private in order to let some of the dust settle, as well as to see if they could make things work before getting Emma's hopes up again. Although Patrick strived to make his actions speak louder than his words when they were alone by courting Sabrina with flowers, love notes and the other mushy stuff he hadn't really done the last time they were together, they maintained a friendly distance in public and at work. While there was a thrill in secret smiles, stolen glances and clandestine moments, it was getting more and more difficult for Patrick to keep his hands to himself around her in public and to adhere to their decision not to just pick up where they left off physically in private.

Since Emma was at a sleepover, Sabrina agreed to come by for a late dinner after her shift. They had just finished their takeout and were drinking wine on the couch and talking when Patrick remembered his surprise and jumped up.

"Patrick, where are you going?"

Halfway to the kitchen, Patrick looked over his shoulder and said, "I forgot about dessert," which caused Sabrina to eye him curiously as he disappeared. When he returned holding his surprise, Sabrina laughed in delight.

"You didn't?!"

He motioned for her to sit down next to him and then handed her a cupcake. "We both know my baking skills leave something to be desired, but I wanted to do something nice for you, so I got decorate-em-yourself cupcakes again."

He watched as Sabrina fussed over the decoration on her red velvet cupcake. "You'll have to thank Emma for me. This is too cute."

"Emma? It did it myself." Patrick knew the decoration wasn't all that, but surely it was distinguishable from that of a little girl, wasn't it?

"You did this?" When Sabrina looked up at him, he could tell that she was struggling to hold back giggles. "I guess it's the thought that counts, right?"

Patrick reached for the cupcake. "Well, if you can't appreciate it, then maybe you don't deserve it."

Just as he got his fingers on it to take it away, Sabrina tried to pull it back toward her, exclaiming, "No! I like it!" Unfortunately, their combined grips on the bottom of the wrapper plus the momentum of her pulling it toward her were too much for the delicate cupcake to handle, causing it to shoot out and crumble – all over Sabrina.

As Sabrina, covered in red velvet cupcake and icing, gasped in surprise, Patrick couldn't help but break out in hysterical laughter. Laughing so hard that he was crying, Patrick didn't notice when Sabrina picked up his chocolate cupcake from the table, peeled the wrapper away and proceeded to smash it in his face.

"What was that for?" he asked, startled.

Sabrina just shrugged and pasted an innocent look on her face, though her eyes gleamed with mischievous triumph.

* * *

Sabrina knew it was a low blow to smash Patrick's cupcake in his face, but she didn't care. When he broke out in hysterical laughter over her predicament, she was overcome by a need to shut him up and the cupcake was the first thing that came to mind.

"Well?" Patrick said, waiting for a reply to why she did it.

"Because I felt like it."

"You… felt … like… it?"

"Uh-huh," Sabrina said with a smile. She felt like it, so she did it. It really wasn't that complicated.

Her response must have caught his attention because Patrick just started to stare at her. After a few seconds, Sabrina began growing uncomfortable (but in a good way), so she said, "What are you staring at?"

He smiled. "You." Then he reached out and pulled a piece of cupcake out of her hair. "You're beautiful."

Sabrina looked down at herself and then back up at him. "I'm a mess."

His response was, "Yeah, but you're my mess," right before he pulled her toward him for a kiss.

Sabrina initially tried to resist, not wanting to make themselves or the couch messier than they already were, but when Patrick whispered, "Don't worry about it," Sabrina gave in. She launched herself into his arms, which knocked them backwards down onto the couch, and kissed him back with all the passion that had built up over the past month inside of her.

Sabrina had initially been relieved to hold off on resuming the physical part of their relationship until she could start to trust Patrick again, but it was getting really tough to be around him as much as she was and not let the lust between them consume her. Since fully trusting Patrick again would take time regardless of their physical relationship and she was tired of waiting, Sabrina broke their kiss and leaned her head down to whisper, "Patrick..." in a seductive voice.

In response, he asked, "Are you sure?"

Sabrina leaned back slightly so she could look at Patrick, whose eyes were filled with desire, and said, "Yes, I want to be with you. I've missed this so much."

He sighed. "Me, too."

Sabrina pressed her body into his just as he wove his hands into her hair to pull her lips back down to his. He was in the midst of pushing her cardigan off her shoulders while she untucked his button-down from his jeans when his phone rang.

He ignored the first call, but when it started to ring again, Sabrina managed a, "Your phone..."

Patrick continued kissing her senseless. "Ignore it..."

"But what if it's the hospital or Darcy's mom?"

That got his attention, so Patrick reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone and answered without looking at the screen. "Hello?"

Since Sabrina was still on top of him, she could hear Robin clear as day when she pleaded a desperate, "Patrick, help me!"

He'd only said her name in surprise when the phone went dead.


	8. Chapter 8

Patrick couldn't believe his luck. He and Sabrina had finally given in to the pull between them and Robin had to choose that exact moment to call. When Sabrina heard Robin's voice, he could literally see her guard start to go up. When the phone went dead, Sabrina shifted and moved away from him until she was standing above him. As she pulled the cardigan back over her shoulders and tried to brush some of the cupcake off of her, she said quietly, "You should try calling her back."

Patrick sat up and dialed as Sabrina looked on. Unfortunately, all he got was Chrichton-Clark's automated answering system on the other end. While he knew that Jason wouldn't have left Robin there if she was in danger, something about her call weirded him out. He looked back up at Sabrina. "Automated system... I think something is wrong."

Sabrina grabbed the ponytail holder she usually kept on her wrist and used it to tie her hair back. "Then you need to help her," she said as she walked toward her purse. "I should go so you can figure it out."

"Sabrina, wait." He got up and attempted to stop her, but she had too much of an advantage and reached the front door well before he did. Fortunately for him, when she opened it and tried to flee, she was stopped by a large male body. Sabrina uttered, "Umph" and Patrick saw Jason help her regain her balance.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. Sorry, I wasn't expecting anyone to be at the door," Sabrina said sheepishly.

Jason, unaffected by his and Sabrina's disarray, nodded and then eyed him. "We need to talk about Robin."

Patrick walked over to the door and waved him inside, but when Sabrina tried to leave, he said, "Stay. Please."

When Sabrina whispered, "Okay," Patrick knew he'd won - at least for the moment, so he turned his attention toward Jason. "So?"

"She called. Something is wrong. We need to help her."

"I know. She called me, too; but, Jason, you are the one who needs to help her. You owe her."

Jason seemed surprised by Patrick's attitude. "You aren't going to help? She's your wife."

"Ex-wife," Patrick clarified. "She's Emma's mother, so I will always be concerned for her, but I can't just uproot Emma's and my life on a whim to go chasing after her. You do what you need to do on your end and I'll call Anna so she can use her resources."

"That's it?"

"Yeah. It is. She left us to save you. Now it's your turn to repay the favor. If there is something specific I can do, call me, but I think you, Anna and Robert will do far better without me involved."

Patrick saw Jason look from him to Sabrina and back again. "I guess that's that." He opened the door to leave and said, "I'll be in touch."

* * *

Sabrina looked between the closed door and Patrick, disheveled and covered in cupcake, and gaped. Had he really just chosen not to run to Saint Robin's rescue? She couldn't believe it.

When Patrick walked over to her and slid her purse from her shoulder and said, "Believe it," Sabrina realized she must have spoken out loud. Whoops.

She looked at him. "But, why? Aren't you worried? What if she's in trouble?"

"I am worried, Sabrina; but, out of everyone in her family, I am the least qualified to go gallivanting all over the place on a search and rescue mission. Jason is a mobster and her parents are spies. I think they can handle things."

"But... It's Robin," Sabrina whispered, still unable comprehend that Patrick was standing here with her and not running to Robin's rescue.

Patrick smiled. "Yes, I'm aware of that."

"I don't ... ah...," Sabrina stuttered.

"What? You don't understand how I can be here with you when Robin is possibly in danger?"

"Yeah, I guess..."

Patrick closed the remaining distance between them and grasped Sabrina's hands. "I meant what I said, Sabrina. You are the person I want to be with - not Robin. While I will go help her if it becomes necessary since she is Emma's mom, you and Emma come first. I won't disrupt our lives over one two-second phone call that may or may not be an emergency when others can find out what's going on and let me know if I'm needed."

Sabrina worked to hold back tears from her eyes. Was Patrick really choosing her? She wanted Robin to be safe for both his and Emma's sakes, so Sabrina would understand if he had to help later, but it spoke volumes that he hadn't gone running immediately. "I don't know what to say. I guess I just never thought you would really do it…"

"Do what?"

"Choose me. Choose us." Sabrina hugged him tightly and whispered, "Thank you."

"I love you, Sabrina. There is no where else I want to be."

"I believe you, Patrick," Sabrina answered, moved by the fact that he'd backed up his words with actions in the most profound way possible. Of course she adored the courting he'd been doing the past month, but what Sabrina had needed in order to give him her heart with no reservations was affirmation that he wouldn't disappear from her life the moment Robin beckoned. Now that Patrick had done that, Sabrina felt her defenses crumble and was ready to move forward. Wanting to let him know how she felt, Sabrina added, "More importantly… I trust you."

As soon as the words escaped her lips, Patrick pulled back slightly and smiled. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear those words." After kissing her tenderly on the lips, he touched his forehead to hers. "Thank you for believing in me - in us."


	9. Chapter 9

"I should go...," Sabrina said halfheartedly as she stood by the door.

"Yeah... probably," Patrick responded with similar enthusiasm as he made no attempt to release her hands from his.

Sabrina didn't want to leave. Now that he'd chosen not to run after Robin, she wanted desperately to stay with Patrick and finish what they'd started earlier. However, she also didn't want to seem insensitive to Robin's predicament, so Sabrina pulled her hands from Patrick's and stepped away. As she put her hand on the doorknob, she said, "So... I'll, ah, see you tomorrow, I guess..."

Patrick followed and smiled. "Absolutely." Sabrina smiled back and then turned back toward the door with the intention of turning the knob and leaving. Before she could, however, he put his hand on the closed door and whispered her name.

"Yeah?" She asked quietly.

"Don't go," he plead as he leaned in close so that his body was flush against hers, his front to her back. "Stay."

Sabrina didn't need any convincing. She dropped her purse and coat on the floor, turned around and launched herself into his arms for a kiss full of promise. Patrick responded eagerly by embracing her tightly. After kissing by the door for a few moments, Patrick began maneuvering them toward his bedroom as they both worked to remove pieces of each other's clothing. When they got to the closed door, however, Sabrina abruptly stopped.

Patrick, confused, asked, "What's wrong?"

Sabrina looked from him to the door and back again and then answered, "Nothing. Nevermind. It's silly." When she went to kiss him again, however, he stopped her.

"It just dawned on you, didn't it, Sabrina? The bedroom. Me and Robin…"

Sabrina glanced away, embarrassed, but nodded.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she looked back at him. "Now that it hit me, I'm not sure I can…"

"It's okay." Then, Patrick smiled (smiled?), grasped the knob, opened the door and began backing into the room. When she didn't follow, he took both of her hands in his and tried to pull her inside, but her feet remained rooted to her spot.

Patrick came back out into the hallway, kissed her lightly and then whispered, "Trust me," as he tugged gently at her hands.

* * *

Patrick felt relieved when Sabrina let go of her misgivings and entered the room, gasping in surprise at the sight. He knew that despite saying she trusted in him - in them - it would be difficult for her to be here in his bedroom with him again after everything that had happened. Because selling the house and uprooting Emma wasn't an option and because he didn't relish the thought of making love to Sabrina in the same bed he'd since shared with Robin, Patrick opted for Plan B: a total redecoration of his bedroom, including all new furniture and a bed that had only ever been slept in by him.

After giving Sabrina a moment to take in the changes, Patrick asked, "So, what do you think?"

"It's amazing," she said, silent tears of happiness flowing from her eyes.

Patrick used his fingers to wipe the tears away. "It's ours. Only ours. A clean slate for our new life. This house is Emma's home and she needs the stability it provides after all the upheaval she's had, but I want you to be comfortable, too. It's the best I could do under the circumstances."

Sabrina sniffled. "I love it, Patrick. And I completely understand about Emma. She doesn't need more turmoil. This is the perfect compromise."

Happy that Sabrina was happy with his surprise, Patrick pulled her into a hug. "Thank you for understanding."

He felt Sabrina nod. When they broke apart, Sabrina was smiling seductively. Hands on his half-open belt, she asked, "So, is the mattress as comfortable as it looks?"

Getting the hint, Patrick's reached for the hem of the tank top she'd been wearing under the long-gone cardigan as he said, "I think it is, but you should probably try it out yourself just to be sure."


End file.
